Cambridge man foils impostor, wants people on lookout for scam
CAMBRIDGE — A Cambridge man is putting local residents on alert after being pulled over by a man impersonating a police officer in the early morning hours Wednesday.
Mathew Hammond was quick to thwart the unknown man’s scam after becoming immediately suspicious, but he worries someone more trusting might fall victim to the impersonation scheme.
Hammond was driving through the streets of west Galt on his way home from work at about 12:15 a.m. when a car’s high beams repeatedly flashed in his rearview mirror.
As he turned from Glenmorris Street to Stanley Street, he then observed blue and red lights flashing from the dashboard of the ensuing vehicle.
Still perplexed, Hammond finally decided to pull over.
“I thought it might be an undercover police officer or something.”
Hammond’s suspicion grew as he watched in his rearview mirror as a man exited the “electric blue” Chevy Cruze.
The man, dressed in a darkcoloured polo shirt and cargostyle pants, approached the driver’s side door and demanded to see Hammond’s driver’s licence and registration.
Getting a closer look at the impostor added to Hammond’s suspicions.
“He has sunglasses on, too … in the middle of the night,” he recalls, chuckling at the thought.
Having been stopped for speeding in the past, Hammond knew police must immediately explain why they are stopping a vehicle, and then ask for proof of insurance and a driver’s licence.
The suspect’s misstep was strike three for the police poser, so Hammond turned the tables, offering some demands of his own.
“I asked for his badge, and he ran back to his car and just drove away as fast as he could. He just gave me that look like, ‘Oh crap,’ and just ran away.”
Still a little stunned by the midnight-hour episode, Hammond sat there for a minute to reflect on what had just happened.
Then he tried to follow him, but to no avail.
“He ran two stops signs to get away from me.”
The light-skinned man appeared to be in his mid-30s, was clean shaven and had an armystyle brush cut, shorter on the sides and longer on the top. He stood about five-foot-10.
“He pulled me over in a really dark spot, and I couldn’t get that good of a description of him.”
Although he could make out the make of the man’s vehicle, Hammond couldn’t read the car’s licence plates, which were blacked out by tinted covers.
When he arrived at home, he shared details about the bizarre event with his wife. They shared a laugh.
Still, Hammond was concerned the incident could happen to someone else and decided to call police.
He has heard about similar scams in the United States thanks to relatives who has been pulled over by police impersonators, but hasn’t heard any local reports before.
Hammond credits the tips shared with him for giving him the quick confidence to challenge the suspect.
Although the man didn’t get far with his illicit attempts early Wednesday morning, Hammond suspects the man could have been attempting to gain personal identification information, or even rob him.
“I think he also thought I would have been a little bit smaller, because when he got up to the window, he was a little bit surprised. “I’m six-foot-two, and 200 pounds. I’m not a little guy.”
Since his wife posted a warning about the impostor incident on a local Facebook group, at least one other local resident said she was also stopped by someone pretending to be a police officer.
Waterloo Regional Police Service spokesperson Cherri Greeno confirmed police are following up on Hammond’s report and urge anyone who has experienced anything similar, or who may have relevant information, to call police at 519-570-9777.
Police are also advising residents who are concerned during a traffic stop to contact police immediately.
“Any time something seems off or you are suspicious, you should call 911 and we can confirm if an actual officer is attempting a traffic stop,” said Greeno.
“Call police any time something seems suspicious or makes you fear for your safety.”